Guides: International Investment Law Research Guide: Secondary Sources: Introductory

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Getting Started with Secondary Sources

If you are new to international investment law, or are unfamiliar with a particular aspect thereof, start your research with a secondary source. In addition to providing background information, analysis, and commentary, secondary sources can help you to identify relevant primary law materials, such as treaties, national legislation, and arbitral awards.

Scroll down for a selection of introductory resources, treatises, and practice guides on international investment law. Click here for a selection of specialized resources that focus on narrower topics. Click here for resources on investment treaty interpretation and commentary.

Introductory Resources in Print

Foreign Investment Law Including Investor-State Arbitrations in a Nutshell (3rd ed.)
Call Number: Reading Room Study Aids K3830 .F64 2022
This entry in the popular Nutshell series provides an easy-to-digest introduction to the law, practice, and regulation of foreign investment. It also covers the settlement of disputes between foreign investors and host states, employing "case studies" from China, Europe, and North America.
An Introduction to International Investment Law
Call Number: K3830 .C6535 2017
This book provides a comprehensive overview of international investment law, focusing primarily on the legal principles contained in the growing body of international investment agreements and case law. It covers the core concepts of the discipline succinctly without getting bogged down in extensive case extracts.
Yearbook on International Investment Law and Policy by Andrea K. Bjorklund, editor
Call Number: K3830 .Y427
This annual publication provides a broad overview of recent developments in international investment law, including country and region-specific developments. It is an excellent starting point for identifying emerging issues and trends.

Treatises & Practice Guides in Print

Arbitration Under International Investment Agreements: A Guide to the Key Issues
Call Number: K3830 .A75 2018
Each chapter in this collection of essays focuses on a key topic in international investment law. Topics covered include the role of precedent, counterclaims, third party funding, the burden of proof regarding jurisdiction, breach of treaty and contract claims, fair and equitable treatment, indirect expropriation, and the enforcement of investment awards. The text also describes the conflicts and challenges faced by arbitrators.
Guide to ICSID Arbitration
Call Number: K3834 .R44 2011
Written by experienced practitioners, this accessible guide explains what ICSID arbitration is and when and how it should be used. It covers the essentials of the ICSID Convention, BITs and MITs, ICSID rules and procedures, and the considerable body of ICSID jurisprudence.
International Investment Law: The Sources of Rights & Obligations
Call Number: K3830 .G39 2012
Describes the sources of law that govern foreign direct investment, including customary international law, general principles of international law, preferential trade and investment treaties, bilateral investment treaties, national legislation and the unilateral acts of states, investment contracts, and decisions of arbitral tribunals.
The International Law on Foreign Investment (5th ed.)
Call Number: K3830.4 .S67 2021
In addition to explaining the historical, political, and economic contexts in which contractual and treaty-based methods of investment protection evolved, and analyzing the effectiveness of bilateral and regional investment treaties, the fifth edition of this treatise addresses current trends and controversies in international investment law and assesses the possible course of future developments.
Investor-State Arbitration, 2nd ed.
Call Number: K3830 .I6849 2019
The second edition of this treatise covers bilateral investment treaties, the most commonly employed arbitration rules, and all of the key aspects of investment arbitration practice, including tribunal composition, jurisdiction, evidence, arbitral awards, the enforcement of awards, and annulment proceedings.
The Law of Investment Treaties (3rd ed.)
Call Number: K3830 .S25 2021
This book examines the significant growth in investment treaties and their impact on the international investors and governments that are parties to them. It incorporates the latest trends in investor-state dispute settlement jurisprudence, including the landmark Yukos case.
Litigating International Investment Disputes: A Practitioner's Guide
Call Number: K3830 .L583 2014
Offers step-by-step guidance for counsel representing either claimants or respondents on the selection of the arbitral tribunal, written proceedings, oral proceedings, evidentiary issues, expert testimony, awards and costs, the enforcement of awards, and post-award remedies.
The Oxford Handbook of International Investment Law
Call Number: K3830 .O94 2008
This authoritative survey of the contemporary legal norms governing foreign direct investment concludes with a chapter summarizing current trends in the law and offering informed commentary on its future development.
Principles of International Investment Law
Call Number: K3830 .D65 2012
Examines the evolution of contemporary investment treaties, both multilateral and bilateral. Analyzes the case law that interprets the broad-based rules derived from treaty clauses and introduces readers to the settlement mechanisms for resolving investor-state disputes.

Electronic Resources

Foreign Investment Disputes: Cases, Materials & Commentary
Call Number: K3830 .B57 2014 Electronic
Describes and analyzes the treaty system for protecting foreign investors, investment contracts, forums for resolving disputes, applicable substantive law, defenses and remedies, proof and procedure, and the enforcement of arbitral awards.
The Foundations of International Investment Law
Call Number: K3830 .F68 2014 Electronic
This collection of scholarly essays focuses on the conceptual foundations of international investment law, examining how conflicting theoretical principles are applied to the concrete issues that arise in practice.
Guide to ICSID Arbitration
Call Number: K3834 .R44 2010 Electronic
See the left-hand column for a description of the print edition.
International Investment Law: The Sources of Rights & Obligations
Call Number: K3830 .G39 2012 Electronic
See the left-hand column for a description of print edition.
Introduction to Investor-State Arbitration
Call Number: K3830 .S53 2018 Electronic
Provides a concise overview of the key principles and concepts underlying investor-state dispute settlement, as well as specific issues that may arise during the course of an arbitration.
The Law of Investment Treaties (3rd ed.)
Call Number: K3830 .S25 2016 Electronic
See the left-hand column for a description of the print edition.
Research Handbook on Foreign Direct Investment
Call Number: K3830 .R47 2019 Electronic
Offers an analytical overview of the key issues in international investment law, incorporating perspectives from Africa, the Asia-Pacific region, Europe, Latin America, and North America.